Taste of Heaven

Chapter 2

***

With a groan, Yuri got up from Izana's mattress; she had stayed up late trying to wash the towels while they were still fresh with blood because they would be hard to wash otherwise. Her yukata, on the other hand, was ruined, and she discarded it with a heavy sigh.

After putting away the futon and leaving the room, she checked on Taiju, and seeing that he was still sleeping, she closed the door and went to prepare for the day.

She made tea for herself and her guest, along with a nutritious breakfast; she knew from her experience with Izana that men, especially martial artists, ate a lot of food. And as if she had summoned him by thinking about him, she heard her brother's voice at the entrance of the house.

"I'll be right back!" Izana said with a cheeky smile to his closest friend, Kakucho. He walked down the hall to the kitchen, where he saw his sister. "Good morning, Yuri," he cheerfully said.

He saw her tense as he approached and raised an eyebrow at the amount of food she was preparing. "Is someone coming over this early?"

"Good morning, Izana!" She said with a high-pitched voice, startling him. "Did you have fun last night? How is Kaku doing? Shouldn't you be at the dojo right now?"

Izana gave her a strange look. "Uhh... I was just going to grab my haori... Are you all right?"

Yuri mentally scolded herself for panicking; she hadn't expected him to come until evening. She cleared her throat and gave him her best smile, "I'm fine; don't worry. I'm just stressed out," she finished with a sigh.

Izana's eyes softened. "Was she here yesterday?" He inquired, to which Yuri replied with a nod.

She wiped her hand and turned to her brother, saying, "She said that this is the last warning." She saw his fists clench in anger and took them in her hands. She gently squeezed his hands and smiled. "It's going to be fine, Izana."

"The hell it will! Yuri, we gave them everything, and I'm pretty sure we've already paid off the debt. What could they possibly want more than that? How much longer can we put up with this?! We can't even buy food anymore, and if it hadn't been for Kaku's family, we would have died of starvation a long time ago!" He was breathing heavily by then, trembling slightly with rage. He took a deep breath, calming himself. He was usually composed, but whenever the Shibas were involved, he lost his cool.

"Izana," his sister called him softly, "I know it's unfair and it doesn't make any sense, and trust me, I'm as frustrated as you are, but we can't let them break us. We're dealing with the Shibas here, and you know that we can't do anything about it." She cupped his cheeks in her hands and then continued, "Even if we lose our house, we will figure something out." She reached up to ruffle his silver locks before fixing them. "I know I can't do much, but I will protect you from this harsh world." She said with a wide smile and flexed her arm, causing him to laugh.

"Yuri..." He moved in closer and pulled her into a hug. The height difference made him smile; he had grown up looking up at her, and now he was taller than her. She wrapped her arms around him and patted him on the back. He hated feeling helpless. His sister dedicated her life to raising him, ensuring that he had the perfect life he deserved by taking on the roles of mother, father, and sister. Thanks to their father, they were on the Shiba family's blacklist. He can't change the past, but he will make sure to change their future. He knew the least he could do to repay her was to use his strength to protect and take care of her, just like she had done for him. He took a step back and looked her in the eyes with determination.

She noticed his solemn expression and decided to relieve the tension by smiling at him and saying, "You look adorable." He whined, and she laughed. "You should go; your students are waiting."